Stripping bottom paint

[jasoncooperpcola]

Just looked at the VC epoxy. It only comes in white. But reading the description its perfect for trailered boats. They need to offer it in a few more colors.

I keep reading sprayed gelcoat is very hard to achieve a smooth surface, and that the only real way to get a smooth surface is to spray it in a mold. Price wise its about the same as paint, maybe less. I guess its all in how much work you want to put in. If i can borrow a gel coat gun, i may spray the transom to see how much work is really involved. Anyone here ever done it?

[Disturbed]

I must say. I completely sanded and repainted the bottom of my V20 a couple months back. It came out super nice in the black color I painted it. I tried using the AC stripper and a pressure washer and just didn't have much luck. I ended up using muscle and a Dewalt and sanded the entire thing by hand.

I'm about to turn 37 years old. One thing I've learned over the years is that I'm better off just paying someone else to do certain things. Ive always been a very hands on guy and love doing most things myself, but one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that I will DEFINITELY pay someone else to do my bottom paint the next time. Oh, I've also given up on cutting my own lawn and trimming the trees. I rather enjoy watching a truck pull up, 10 people get out, and in a matter of 15 minutes they've cut, trimmed, edged, and blown away the grass. All while I drink a beer a watch them through my patio doors in the AC. LMAO..

I'm sure in the end, you will appreciate the job much more by doing it yourself. It's a sense of personal satisfaction. But screw that!! I'm perfectly satisfied helping the economy and paying one of my fellow working class buddies to do it for me!!

[spareparts]

some of the guys around here are repainting the bottoms with teflon/epoxy bottom paint(no antifoulant) for use on sail boats, they don't list white, but the tint-able base is a flat white paint. On an older boat with bottom paint scars, it hides a bunch http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...ct.do?pid=2330

[jasoncooperpcola]

Well I did not finish it yesterday. Thunderstorms ran me back inside. The rest of the country is going thru a drought and Florida the Sunshine State has gotten rain every day for the past month? I am finding a little bit of gelcoat damage that was covered by the bottom paint based on the fiberglass being blue inside the damaged spots. Its mostly on the strakes. I have found blue green yellow and red bottom paint in different areas. I will get what I can with the stripper and pressure washer. But i think i will have to sand the entire keel to get rid of the bottom paint there. I am starting back at welding class today so I will have the weekend days only to work on it now as i deliver pizza at night.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Originally Posted by spareparts

some of the guys around here are repainting the bottoms with teflon/epoxy bottom paint(no antifoulant) for use on sail boats, they don't list white, but the tint-able base is a flat white paint. On an older boat with bottom paint scars, it hides a bunch http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...ct.do?pid=2330

Spare i was planning to use the vc epoxy. So its good to get a recommendation on it.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Ok I worked the entire weekend and yesterday at a remodel, so my boss gave me the day off. without pay. So in honor of Labor Day i got back on stripping the bottom paint. After almost getting my truck stuck trying to pull the boat around, I got the boat half way off the trailer on a block in the back.
Before:



After:



Other side:


I still have the keel to do, It has been the hardest part, I have a half gallon of Aircraft Stripper left. Once I "break" the top layer the rest peels right off on the next layer. Paint chips were flying everywhere once I got the pressure washer running wide open.

[Kracker Jack]

That looks like a royal PITA!!!!

[jasoncooperpcola]

Originally Posted by Kracker Jack

That looks like a royal PITA!!!!

It is. I havent even started the worst part which is the keel. I am gonna hit it all fast with 40 grit paper to break it then maybe the stripper can penetrate.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by jsgeorge4x4

i spent an entire winter under mine when i was 16 with a 1" spackle knife. 17 layers of paint came off. i recoated with interprotect 2000e (6coats) and 3 coats micron csc. i just painted the bottom for the 3rd time in 8 years with the csc and had almost no paint buildup left before painting. 3 coats = 3 years of not painting. why not just sand the gelcoat smooth if you keep it on the trailer?

I gotta agree. Trailer queens really don't need to be painted. In fact, the only reason to paint a trailered boat is for looks. Personally I like the clean look of an unpainted boat.....but that's just me.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Main reason for repainting is looks. I am about to start a conversion/rebuild and convert it to a center console. Its gonna be a whole new animal when done, and i plan to paint everything inside and out. I am not sure how clean the bottom will be after sanding. But i have been thinking and i may be able to make my paint scheme work with a white bottom.

I do agree a white bottom looks better but i guess after staring at puke green and blue on the bottom for six years i am afraid of what it will look like white.

My paint scheme might now be white bottom with white sides and a blue boot stripe that splits off diagonally and runs around the bow. Only problem is this bow is so funky shaped, i will be painting almost two foot to get it to match the six inch rest of the six inch boot stripe. Here is a quick ms paint i did to try to describe it.